Bench Ya Later
Hi, I’m Dan and I’m the guy who has been spooking around in a lot of Christa’s home repair photos. I’m also the one who pretends to be a hybrid J. Crew Model and amateur contractor.
Since becoming a home owner, I’ve had the opportunity to flex some of my atrophied carpentry muscles. Whether it’s building a workbench, leveling a backyard, or destroying plaster, I’ve enjoyed every minute of the work. My uncle calls this “sweat equity,” which is valuable in any economy.
But today I’m here to present to you a bench for sitting. I admire the craftsmanship of quality wood work and have always wondered why I couldn’t do the same. Humans have been crafting benches for centuries. Surely a millennial like myself, with a limited budget and unlimited YouTube tutorials, can build a bench from a couple of scrappy studs.
And thus my journey began.
We are standing on the shoulders of giants in terms of woodworking information. There is a YouTube video or article or Pinterest post about every technique or item you’d want to build. I knew that if I read enough tutorials I’d be able to build something that I’d be okay displaying right here on this blog. I based my project on the instructions shared on this DIY site and recommend you do the same if you want to replicate this greatness.
I’d define my work by saying it’s akin to West Elm being operated by a Hobo. From a distance the similarities are impeccable, but as you get closer you’ll notice a few missteps, an extra squirt of glue, and some gaps that add a dash of charm. It’s the imperfections that make us human, after all.
Once I had the measurements down, it wasn’t too tough to put together. I used a total of (7) 2 x 4 studs (my practice wood). After the wood is cut it’s a matter of gluing it all together. Make sure you have enough clamps!
I was drawn to this wood project because it relies on wood glue. No screws or nails. As a novice, I got a bit overzealous with the glue which resulted in a two minor dilemmas:
- The bench temporarily getting glued to the table it was drying on. Whoops.
- A couple of glue stains on the wood.
After sanding and staining here’s the finished product!
Man, that looks much better than it has any right looking.
Welp, bench ya later!
